Terminal cover and wireless communication device including wireless authentication module

Abstract

A wireless communication device includes a terminal body including a near field communication (NFC) function and accessories which are attached to the terminal body, and includes a wireless authentication module for an authentication operation through wireless communication with the terminal body. The authentication operation is performed using inductive coupling between an NFC coil of the terminal body and an authentication coil of the wireless authentication module, and in the case that the accessories are attached to the terminal body, the wireless authentication module is disposed so that at least a part of the authentication coil is located outside the NFC coil.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wireless communication device comprising:
 a terminal body comprising a near field communication (NFC) function; and   accessories attachable to the terminal body, the accessories include a wireless authentication module configured to perform an authentication operation through wireless communication with the terminal body,   wherein upon attachment of the accessories to the terminal body, the wireless authentication module is configured to perform the authentication operation using inductive coupling between an NFC coil of the terminal body and an authentication coil of the wireless authentication module, and at least a part of a side of a first coil of the authentication coil is located outside a side of a second coil of the NFC coil.   
     
     
         2 . The wireless communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless authentication module is configured to be activated when the authentication operation is performed on the terminal body and deactivated after the authentication operation. 
     
     
         3 . The wireless communication device of  claim 2 , wherein the authentication operation is performed after each of a plurality of set periods. 
     
     
         4 . The wireless communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless authentication module comprises the authentication coil, a capacitor, a resistor and a control circuit,
 wherein the control circuit is configured to control a capacitance of the capacitor and a resistance level of the resistor depending on an activation or deactivation state of the wireless authentication module.   
     
     
         5 . The wireless communication device of  claim 4 , wherein the authentication coil, the capacitor and the resistor are connected in parallel as a parallel resonant circuit. 
     
     
         6 . The wireless communication device of  claim 5 , wherein during the activation state, the control circuit is configured to control the capacitance of the capacitor and the resistance level of the resistor to match a resonant frequency of the parallel resonant circuit with a resonant frequency of the NFC coil. 
     
     
         7 . The wireless communication device of  claim 5 , wherein during the activation state, the control circuit is configured to control the capacitance of the capacitor and the resistance level of the resistor to increase a quality factor value of the parallel resonant circuit. 
     
     
         8 . The wireless communication device of  claim 5 , wherein during the deactivation state, the control circuit is configured to control the capacitance of the capacitor and the resistance level of the resistor to make a resonant frequency of the parallel resonant circuit different than a resonant frequency of the NFC coil. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless communication device of  claim 5 , wherein during the deactivation state, the control circuit is configured to control the capacitance of the capacitor and the resistance level of the resistor to decrease a quality factor value of the parallel resonant circuit. 
     
     
         10 . A terminal cover built in a portable terminal, the portable terminal including a near field communication (NFC) function configured to perform a function set after an authentication operation with the terminal cover, the terminal cover comprising:
 a wireless authentication module configured to perform the authentication operation with the portable terminal,   wherein the wireless authentication module comprises   a parallel resonant circuit comprising a coil, a capacitor and a resistor; and   a control circuit configured to control wireless communication with the portable terminal by changing a resonant frequency and quality factor of the parallel resonant circuit.   
     
     
         11 . The terminal cover of  claim 10 , wherein the wireless authentication module comprises an authentication coil and the portable terminal comprises an NFC coil, and
 at least a part of a side of a first coil of the authentication coil is located outside a side of a second coil of the NFC coil.   
     
     
         12 . The terminal cover of  claim 11 , wherein the wireless authentication module is configured to be activated when the authentication operation is performed on the portable terminal and deactivated after the authentication operation. 
     
     
         13 . The terminal cover of  claim 12 , wherein during the activated state, the control circuit is configured to control a capacitance of the capacitor and a resistance level of the resistor to match a resonant frequency of the parallel resonant circuit with a resonant frequency of the NFC coil. 
     
     
         14 . The wireless communication device of  claim 12 , wherein during the deactivated state, the control circuit is configured to control a capacitance of the capacitor and a resistance level of the resistor to make a resonant frequency of the parallel resonant circuit different than a resonant frequency of the NFC coil. 
     
     
         15 . The wireless communication device of  claim 14 , wherein during the deactivated state, the control circuit is configured to control the capacitance of the capacitor and the resistance level of the resistor to decrease a quality factor value of the parallel resonant circuit. 
     
     
         16 . A portable terminal comprising:
 a terminal body comprising a first coil configured to perform near field communication (NFC); and   an accessory detachably connected to the terminal body, the accessory comprising a wireless authentication module configured to perform an authentication operation through NFC with the terminal body, the wireless authentication module comprising a second coil configured to perform the NFC with the first coil, and a control circuit configured to change a resonant frequency of the second coil responsive to a state of the wireless authentication module.   
     
     
         17 . The portable terminal of  claim 16 , wherein the wireless authentication module is configured to be in an activated state when the authentication operation is performed and in a deactivated state after the authentication operation. 
     
     
         18 . The portable terminal of  claim 17 , wherein the wireless authentication module comprises the second coil, a capacitor and a resistor configured as a parallel resonant circuit, and wherein the control circuit is configured to control a capacitance of the capacitor and a resistance level of the resistor based on whether the wireless authentication module is in the activation state or the deactivation state. 
     
     
         19 . The portable terminal of  claim 16 , wherein upon connection of the accessory to the terminal body, at least a part of a side of the first coil is located outside a side of the second coil. 
     
     
         20 . The portable terminal of  claim 16 , wherein the accessory comprises a terminal cover.